Method of carrying out metallurgical reduction and melting processes.



FATE-NED JULm, 1907.

A. J. LBTERSSON. F GARRYEG OUT MEEALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND- MELTING ETEGD 0 PRGGESSES. APELIOATIOK FILED 00'r.a0.'1oja.

Witnesses.

ENT outrun.

ALBERT JOHAN PElIl'lItSSON, Oil ALIJY, bWI'JDlEN.

METHOD OF CARRYING- OUT METALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND MELTING PROCESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l mented July 2, 1907.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Elerisl Ne. 341.343

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l, ALBERT JonAN PETERSSON, :1 subject llf lllc King of Swedexnmud resident of Alby,

y the proportions betweenthe carbon and the ore contin ously and "economically. -Inthe processes above mentioned-it has ib een gccessery to burn the carbonic oxid in special roasting-endcombustion-lurus muc li as theore will loses. good deal of its heat be ceessalry tor-carrying out the processl l r fore reaching the reduction zone of the electric furnace. It has also been proposed to burn combustiblcgases in such electric furnaces where the ore and the carbon are column of carbon and thereupon when passing; through 110 the column of are next to the column of carbon, counted inthe direction oi flow, be converted into carbonic acid Sweden, have invented certain new and useful lincharged in separate layers but in said furnaces the com- 5 pi mvem ents in Methods of Carrying Out Metallurgical bustion has taken place in the layer of carbon and Reduction and ltf oltiug'Prot-esscs; and I do hereby dewhile it is important to obtain the highest; temperature Clare thejfollowing to be a full, clear, and cxactfdescrippossible in the charge ofore or the like heated by the tion of thoiuvention, such as will enable others skilled electriecurrerit byheating the surroundingdayers of in the aift to which it ap 'iertains to make and use the l Carbon to the highest temperature possiblc no consid- G5 same, reference being had to the accompanying clrmvl oration has been talteuto the consumption of clfl-lon.-- ings oridto letters or figures (if-reference marked, thers- I and electrodes. I on, hiehformspi rt of this speciti cation. In the present invention the combustion of the gases s volition relates to a method of carrying out. can take place in close proximity to the reduction zone .me llurgical reductionand melting-processcs by so that the ore, or the like, will be preliminarily heated i5 I o tri {the said method rendering it posi thereby innuediately before it comes into the said zonc, v "ghcr efiicic '23 from the electric cnrand simultaneously the cherge ol carbon-us well as the zen the etof ore. The method may especially be electrodes may be prevented from being consumed in usedio deli reduction processes where as a reduction l any-essential degree by the said burning of gases, in as I v (in or carbonic oxid is used. I much as the electrode or elcctrodesinuy be arranged in objectfo'l the invention is to utilize in an the column or columns of carbon and the latter may be cnlnizinner the excess of carbonic oxid i'orincd kept so compact; that neither the carbonic oxld nor the u tion process for preliminary hosting the air introduced into the column of ore, or the like, will -'1-he int'entionyhowex er, is not limited thcrein any essential degree take their way therethrough. a ene'rulobject 01' the some being to obtain an The combustion of gas may be so directed that; the gas 35 efifct preliminary heating of the charge by burning and air partaking in the combustion flow from the colusti ble gases in the seine, whether the said gases umn or columns of carbon toward the outlets ior the aseior ned during the process or are supplied from products of combustion. without. The invention will be more particularly described 4 T nvention consists, principally, in charging suc-. herelielow with reference to the uccorupiu'iying drawing 30 c'sssiuely into the furnace a-Iithmcite coal, or the like, showingsubstantially dingiumiuutical2yen electric lurliereinulter referred to as cqrbon, and the ore, or the nace ior carrying out the piece be reduced in. such a'meuner thatth ey cont-inu- Figure 1 is a side-elevation partly in sectionv and Fig. allyfor ri scparem columns, and burning-combustible 2 is a plan /low partly in section on line II-II of gas 11 the column-nrcolunms of ore, or the like, for Fig. l.

35 preliminary heating the salne before it comes into the Referring to'the drawing, the furnace shown has three reduction zone 0i the furnace. The said method is's shafts 1, 2 and 3 of which the shafts l-ond 3 stre adapted 'siznplszind effective manner of utilizing the excess of to be charged with are, or tlle like, while the shaft 2 is carbonic oxid formed in the reduction process, it being adapted to be charged with cerbon, coke, anthrzicite,

'onlfygn essa ryto arrange the furnace so that the said charcoal, or the like. The upper part; of the-inner 40 g sll'lows off through the column of ore, 0r the like, and shaft walls nut-y lie-ma ds hollow, as shown, for the purto int cie into the said column a. suitable quantity of pose-oi reducing their weight, such reduction being cleair lor bll. .niiig the. carbonic oxid in to carbonic acid. sirableas the walls are not supported :it their base. At

yluutho usual-processes in which the ore and the carth bottom the three shafts forum-single reductionand bpii are cl ed'into the electric furnace mixed with melting-zone forming a. part of circuhttion system or it has not been possible to carry out such a which consists oi regenerators 4 and 5 provided on each i co o oi tlie carbonic-01nd inthe charge, the can- :side of the reduction zone; a pipe 6 between the outer bo'nic causing the combustion of a part of the carends of the regeneretors and a fan til or other circulation barge. aswell as a. psrt of the electrodes so device inserted in the pipe, whereby the gases contained ha ve been impossible to determine corin the circulation system may be brought to circulate 10'5 allowed to rise through the shafts 1 and 3 containing ores, or the like, while simultaneously air is introduced into the said shafts; the said air causing it combustion of the gases flowing off in the columns of ore aliove the rednction zone. For sucli purpose the furnace illust-mted in the drawing is provided with channels 7, 8 and 9, 1O iu the side-walls of the shafts 1 and 3 respectively,

the said channels communicating by means of'a. number of openings 14 and 15 respectively with the interior of the shafts and beingv at their outer ends in communication with a pipe 16 containing a fan, or the like, 17 for forcing the air into the shafts. In order to prevent the said air from flowing down to the gas partaking in the circulation, whereby it would cause a useless comhustion of the carbon of the'charge, the combustion of the excess of gas is suitably so directed that it takes place alternately in the one shaft and the other. For said purpose valves 18,153, 20 and 21 are inserted in the branch-pipes 161, 162,-163, and 164 between the pipe 16 end the channels 7 8; 9 and 10, and in the outlet-pipes 22 and 23'are inserted valves 24 and .25 respectively.

"ill

The positions of the said valves should be changed. when the direction of circulation is reversed; in audio manner that the valves corresponding tofllhe shaft that is alter the coluinn oi'carhon counted in the direction of flow are closed.- The flow of gas which entersiinto the reduction zone from one of the regenerators will hereby be divided so that the excess ofgas flows up through the overlying layer of ore'and is there n ixed'with the air forced in, the said air'efiecting a combustion of tliegas flowing off while heating the ore.

Instead oi forcing the air into the furnace for burning the excess oigas in some cases I draw out the said excess sneeze 'and simultaneously draw innit through the column of ore, or the like, the said air thereby effecting a burning of the gas before leaving the furnace. This is especially of si-licious iron by melting. scrap iron and eilicic acid by means of suitable in such cases where the carbon works a direct reduction, for instance in the production electrically heated carbon, the circulation' of gas being in such case dispensable. 4 By the above described combustion of gases the consumptinn' of ele'ctriclurrent can obviouslybe consider- 7 ably reduced, in as much as the electric current need not be used for heating the charge of ore to the reduction temperature.

Having now particularly described niy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

l. 'T'hc method of reducing and melting ores and the like In an electric furnace which conslst in'lntroduclng the ore lo betrenrcd and the carbon used for the reduction in the furnace in such a manner that they continuously form separate upright columns in close contact with each other, leadlng an electric: current through the column or carbon for heating the same to a temperature Buflcleut for reducingJthe ore. end burning the combustible gases formed during the reduction process in the column of ore for preliminary heating the same, substantially as and fertile purpose set forth.

2. The method of reducing lnd"meltlng ores anti the -llke in anelectrlc turn ace which consists-in introducing the ore to be'treated and carbon used tor the reduction in the furnace to such a manner till; they continuously form separate upright coluxnns In close cont lendingnn electric current through th duclng the ore, circulating reduclrig'gpse'a from the column or carbon through'the colnmn oboe: and then back again to said column of carbon, and burning the'excu ot with each other, lilmn 01. carbon for heating the same to a temporal .sufliclent tor. re 

